The Holy Sprites Bar. One of the more popular hangouts in Manehattan. Run by a griffon family know as the Zapbirds. The establishment was fairly large. A few dozen tables dotted the first floor yet still made room for a dance area, and more tables occupied the half floor above. From the entrance, a bar with three bartenders, who were busily making drinks for ponies, was on the left wall; a stage, which had ponies singing karaoke, was against the wall opposite the front doors; and there was a stairway leading to the balcony-like floor above.
Soren looked up at the railing that encircled the one massive room from three sides, the stage's wall being barren. On both floors, he could see various groups of ponies (and griffons!) laughing and having a grand time. Mares and stallions danced together in the center, and the bartenders performed tricks while creating beverages.
"Did you take me here to flirt with mares? I have a marefriend." Soren chuckled and looked at Shayden.
"Why did you assume that? I'm taken as well. I'm just here to listen to the music."
"You could simply make your own."
"Sometimes you have to listen to others. Plus, the other reason is for you to have fun." Without waiting for a response, Soren teleported him and Shayden to the bar. "Bartender! When you get the time, three rounds for my friend and I!" Shayden's eyes widened, and the characters around the bar laughed whole-heartedly. They liked this pony's style!
"What do you think you are doing?" Shayden hissed at Soren, who had the biggest grin on his face.
"Having fun." Six mugs were levitated to Soren, who took them in his own magic then physically tossed enough bits towards the bartender.
With Shayden in tow, he trotted towards an empty table near the entrance of the bar, set down the drinks, then took a seat. Shayden refused to sit down and chose to instead stand next to the alicorn and stare at him.
"I'm not going to drink."
"Pfff HA! Says you! Shayden, look at me. As your friend, I want you to try what this Equestria has to offer. I want you to have fun. Experiment. You're going to drink." Smiling, he held out a mug to Shayden, who considered the offer. The look on Soren's face showed that he wasn't trying to pull any pranks or take advantage of him. Winter shouldn't get too mad at him for one or two; he was going to 'open up' after all.
"No more than two," he stated as he sat next to Soren, who placed the mug in front of him.
"If it helps, I don't drink much either. Cheers!" He held up his mug to Shayden, who in turn tapped his mug against Soren's.
"Cheers." Soren swore he saw a small smile.
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Shayden was smart to say they shouldn't have more than two ciders; the pair couldn't even handle two very well. One hour later, Shayden was a tad drunk, laughing constantly but maintaining some of his typical personality. On the other hoof, Soren, who had a higher metabolism being an alicorn, could handle his alcohol better than Shayden but was drunk as well.
Soren didn't feel too ashamed at getting drunk with two ciders; most ponies get drunk around three or four anyway. Unfortunately, he and Shayden were lightweights due to not being experienced with drinking. It didn't matter to him; Shayden was having a great time!
As the pair cracked jokes and laughed at the smallest things, a male griffon walked up to their table. Soren noticed the friendly-looking bird-lion and smiled.
"You know, in my entire quote unquote life here in Equestria, I have never met a griffon. How the hay are ya?!" The griffon was about to respond but felt a hoof petting the side of his neck. He and Soren glanced at Shayden, who was rubbing his prosthetic wooden hoof on the griffon.
"Haha, ur feathers are so soft...and griffony," he slightly slurred.
"Shayden...how do you ev'n feel using a wooden hoof?"
"Shuddup!" The griffon actually chuckled.
"You sure are drunk," he finally spoke.
"He's a lightweight," Soren commented. "Don't mind him."
"You seem just as drunk."
"Nah, I juss like to mess around. I am drunk, just not as much as this stallion."
"I'm not that drunk!" Shayden exclaimed.
"You're so drunk that you would probably sneeze out cider!"
"Anyway," the griffon continued, chuckling first, "what are you two doing here? You definitely don't blend in with the crowd."
"I'm just spendin' time with mah buddy."
"AMIGO!" Shayden shouted to the heavens, turning a few heads their direction. He draped a hoof over Soren's shoulders, dropping his entire weight onto him. Shayden may be a unicorn, but he was easily the size of an earth pony.
"Oof! Ur heavy!" Soren strained.
"You calling me fat?!"
"I just said you're heavy! Wow, you are drunk." The griffon laughed.
"You two are quite the pair. Where ya from?"
From there, the three began a conversation (or as good of a conversation a griffon can have with two drunks) about who they are and where they're from. The griffon explained that he approached them because he was interested in the alicorn. Soren responded by saying a griffon stands out more than an alicorn, to which the griffon agreed with.
After about half an hour, the griffon said goodbye to the pair and walked away from the table to his own friends, leaving Shayden and Soren alone again.
"So," the swaying Shayden began. "Y'say you have a song for anything, correct?"
"Pretty much."
"I have heard some very explicit songs 'n my travels. I'll bet that you can't create one."
"How much?"
"Wha?"
"How much will ya pay me if I make one?"
"Fity bits." Soren knew he meant fifty.
"Really? Haha, alright. Juss give me a bit. Probably need another cider too." He grabbed the last cider on the table. There would have been two had they not offered it to their griffon buddy.
"You have ta sing it before we leave."
"Deal." Soren and Shayden shook hooves, while Soren took a swig.
"Waitress!" Shayden yelled. "Another round!"
"I love how you can't hold your beer."
"YOU can't hold ur beer!"
"Better than you!"
"Can't argue with that!" The two shared a laugh before Soren began pondering what song to sing. There were some that he believed were too explicit and others he felt weren't explicit enough. It took him awhile to pick one, and being drunk didn't help either.
Finally deciding on one, Soren ran over to the empty stage (almost tripping twice) and hopped up there. He tapped the microphone, which caused a loud feedback throughout the building, turning heads to the stage. Soren was frozen at the immediate attention for a few seconds before clearing his throat to calm himself.
He gasped upon seeing two guitars, one acoustic and one electric, leaning against one of the two speakers onstage. He levitated the acoustic guitar over to him and a stool from the bar. He began playing with magic as he sat upon the stool. Soren chose magic to play the guitar because he could control what was being played better than his drunk hooves could. Half of the bar quieted down as Soren began.
This is a song for the ladies
But fellas listen closely
You don't always have to buck her hard
In fact sometimes that's not right to do
Sometimes you've got to make some love
And freakin' give her some smoochies too
Sometimes ya got to squeeze
Sometimes you've got to say please
Sometime you've got to say hey...
I'm gonna buck you softly
I'm gonna screw you gently
I'm gonna hump you sweetly
I'm gonna ball you discreetly
And then you say hey I bought you flowers
And then you say wait a minute Sunny
I think I got somethin in my teeth
Could you get it out for me?
That's bucking teamwork!
What's your favorite posish?
That's cool with me
It's not my favorite
But I'll do it for you
What's your favorite dish?
I'm not gonna cook it
But I'll order it from Zanzebra!
And then I'm gonna love you completely
And then I'll bucking buck you discreetly
And then I'll bucking bone you completely
But then I'm gonna buck you haaaaard
Haaaaard
The bar was now silent. Soren started to feel embarrassed but being drunk made him not care as much. He started to laugh when a few ponies and griffons cheered, applauded, and laughed. Soren cheered and laughed with them, energy coursing through him. As he stood on his hind legs with forelegs spread and a smile on his face, Soren almost fell a few times but managed to stay upright. Out of all the ponies cheering, Shayden could be heard clearly over everyone.
As the dark unicorn cheered loudly for his friend while trying not to giggle, he felt a hoof tap his shoulder. Turning around and almost becoming dizzy, Shayden smiled and hugged his marefriend, Winter Solstice.
"Hi, Winter!" he exclaimed loudly. "Whatchu doin' here?"
"Wondering what you boys are doing," she replied. "I was having a good time with Rainbow. However, she accidentally hinted at her and Soren's little plan to loosen you up. I made her show me where he took you."
"What's Soren doing?" Rainbow asked Shayden while interrupting Winter. "He's on stage."
"Winning a bet," he answered enthusiastically. "He sang a hell of a explicit song!" Rainbow snickered at the drunk Shayden.
"And you didn't invite me?!" she exclaimed jokingly but with slight disappointment.
"Shayden," Winter continued, "when I told you to lighten up, I didn't think you would get drunk."
"I only had two beers!" he defended. Soren hobbled over to them, swaying the entire distance.
"He's telling the truth!" he shouted over-dramatically as he fell to Winter's hooves. "He's such a lightweight it's unbearable!" Soren hugged her legs, and Winter couldn't help but chuckle at him.
"Look at you down on your knees," she teased.
Soren grinned. "You girls could be down on your knees if you know what I mean."
"Ah may be drunk, but I know a flirt when I hear one!" Shayden proclaimed. Soren shot up and grinned sheepishly.
"Soren, you might want to step to the left," Winter warned.
"More of ur astrology magic? Alrighty." He stepped to the left just in time to dodge a glass bottle. "Wow, ur good."
"Actually, I saw him about to throw it."
"Shuddup, you lot!" a pony at a nearby table shouted at them. "Imma trying to drink hee." Rainbow, Soren, and Shayden all fell over laughing. Winter laughed as well but remained standing.
The two mares had to force Soren and Shayden to leave the bar. As they walked down the street towards their hotel, Soren and Shayden hung onto each other and began singing a drunk version of 'Sunday Morning.' Rainbow smirked while Winter rolled her eyes with a smile.
What the two couples didn't know is that two ponies were watching them as they left. Two stallions in purple armor hid in the shadows of an alleyway. One Lunar Guard looked to the other and motioned his head at the four ponies. The second guard shook his head 'no.' The two then turned around and walked deeper into the alley. So much for following orders.